Breakdown of Tengo los fósforos y la brújula en la mochila.
y
and
tener
to have
en
in / on / at
los
the (masculine plural)
la mochila
the backpack
la brújula
the compass
el fósforo
the match
Questions & Answers about Tengo los fósforos y la brújula en la mochila.
Why does the sentence use la mochila instead of mi mochila?
In Spanish, it is very common to use definite articles (el, la, los, las) instead of possessive adjectives (mi, tu) for clothing, body parts, and everyday personal items when the owner is obvious. Since the sentence starts with Tengo (I have), it is already clear whose backpack it is.
I learned the word cerillas for matches. Is fósforos different?
They mean the exact same thing! Cerillas is the standard word used in Spain, but in Latin America, you will almost exclusively hear and use fósforos.
Learn Tengo los fósforos y la brújula en la mochila and more in Spanish
All course content and exercises are completely free — no paywalls, no trial periods, no signup needed.
- ✓ Practice with interactive exercises
- ✓ Track your progress with spaced repetition
- ✓Learn at your own pace — completely free